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African-American Pioneers in Engineering You Should Know About

February is African-American History Month. As such, it is the perfect opportunity to highlight the engineering achievements of African-Americans who, although they may have contended with racism, societal inequality, and discrimination, worked hard to overcome obstacles and accomplished great things in the field of engineering.

Walter Brathwaite, an American engineer who was born in Jamaica, was hired by Boeing in 1966. As Senior Engineer, he led the team that invented CAD systems for designing commercial Boeing aircraft. Over the years, Brathwaite rose through the ranks, eventually becoming President of Boing Africa. When he retired in 2003, he was the highest ranking African-American executive of the company.

 

Howard P. Grant graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1948, making him the first African-American to graduate from the Berkeley College of Engineering. That same year, Grant also became the first known black member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He subsequently became the first African-American civil engineer for the City and County of San Francisco and the second African-American civil engineer to be licensed by California. He worked in the San Francisco water department until 1984, and also held the position of president and treasurer of the California Society of Professional Engineers.

George Biddle Kelley graduated from Cornell University's College of Civil Engineering in 1908. He went on to become the first African-American engineer registered in the state of New York. He was hired by the New York Engineering Department, where he worked on the Barge Canal, a collection of state waterways, during the 1920s.

Elijah McCoy was born in Canada in 1844 to runaway slaves who had escaped Kentucky thought the Underground Railroad. At the age of 15, he moved to Edinburgh, Scotland for an apprenticeship. There he became certified in mechanical engineering. Upon leaving Scotland, he moved to Michigan, where his family was now living. After being unable to find engineering work in Michigan because of his race, he found work as a fireman with the Michigan Central Railroad. Part of his duties included oiling the steam engine parts. Soon McCoy had invented an automatic engine lubricator, which meant that trains were no longer required to stop for lubrication. The lubrication could now occur while the train was moving. As news of the invention spread, many inventors attempted to create their own version of the automatic lubricator. However, it was soon discovered that McCoy’s invention was superior. It is said that railway engineers began requested “the real McCoy” lubricator. McCoy filed a total of almost 60 patents, including designs for an ironing board, a lawn sprinkler, and other machines.

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Stormwater Compliance Services for Montreign Casino Project

This project consisted of the regular qualified inspector compliance inspection required by the owner under the NYSDEC General Permit for Construction Activities. The project included the construction of a 65-acre site proposed to be the home of the Montreign Luxury Casino Resort Hotel, which is the core component of a larger resort overlay district that encompasses more than 1,500 acres of land.

KC was responsible for NYSDEC-required periodic site inspections to ensure compliance with the approved stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP). Responsibilities included application of the approved SWPPP and associated plans, details, specifications, and application of Best Management Practices to the constantly evolving conditions on the casino site, as well as the adjacent concurrent construction projects.

The special nature of this stormwater pollution prevention plan required waiver of the five-acre disturbance limit and the use of a chemical treatment system utilizing a specialized flocculation protocol to allow suspended colloidal clays to settle out prior to discharge. Semi-weekly reports were created to document the construction and identify areas requiring attention as well as best management practice recommendations for the owner’s contractor to implement in order to correct deficient site conditions to ultimately prevent permit violations.

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What, Why, How — Water Treatment Plants

Did you know that 99.7% of Earth’s water supply is not usable by humans? This unusable supply includes not only saltwater but fresh water supplies from lakes and streams that often contain waterborne germs such as Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Hepatitis A, and Giardia intestinalis. The water we drink, from taps and bottles and fountains, goes through an extensive treatment process to rid itself of these harmful pathogens.

A water treatment plant serves its local community by sourcing its water from the surface, from lakes, streams, reservoirs, or from the ground, where water pools after seeping in from rain or snowfall. The plant is then tasked with disinfecting and purifying this “raw,” or untreated, water. Below is a step-by-step look into how your water is treated:

  1. The first step of the purification process is coagulation and flocculation: in this step, a coagulant, such as aluminum sulphate or iron salt, is added to the water to neutralize the negative charge of any dirt, parasite, or bacteria that might be present. This neutralization enlarges the harmful particles in preparation for the following step.
  2. The second step is referred to as sedimentation, where the now enlarged dirt particles can more easily sink to the bottom of the water.
  3. The third step is filtration, where the water is run through sand, gravel, or charcoal to weed out the enlarged dirt particles.
  4. The fourth step is disinfection where a chemical such as chlorine or chloramine is added to the water to both kill any remaining parasites or bacteria and prevent the growth of new ones.
  5. Finally, the purified water is stored in a water tower and, with plenty of gravity and pumps, is delivered into your home.

Want to find out more about the quality of your drinking water? Visit this site to access an annual drinking water quality report from your local water supplier.

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Tri-Municipal Sewer Commission Pump Station Odor Control Project

KC was tasked with finding a means of resolving the issue of sewage odors being emitted outside the bar screen building at the Village of Wappingers Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant.

There are various methods of removing odors caused by wastewater from the air. KC recommended a drum-style air scrubber be installed, maintained, and operated by the plant operators. This type of system consists of an inlet, a drum containing the media with a fan, and an outlet. The media is located in the drum, and air is forced up through the media to be treated; air is then released back into the room. This system runs continuously, reducing the odor of the building should the ventilation fans need to turn on during an alarm condition.

KC reviewed the bids and is coordinating the installation and electrical work with the operators. KC is also overseeing the construction management.

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What to Know About Your Property When Buying a Home: Property Surveys

Imagine this: You’ve been living in your home for a few years and decide, one day, to put up a picket fence. You do so, only to find out that your neighbor is saying that some of his property is within your fence line. Is he right, or are you? And how can you know?

What is a property survey and why is a property survey an essential document to receive when buying a property?

A property survey is an examination or measuring of land that illuminates all manmade and natural property features, such as creeks, streams, or utility lines, values, and boundaries. Importantly, a property survey lets land owners and buyers know where their property begins and ends—this information becomes important when looking to expand a home or build a fence around it. Another important piece of information illuminated from a property survey is the location of utility lines. This knowledge can help a land buyer understand their legal rights and limitations as an owner. FindLaw.com, a popular site for legal information, explains that, “A utility company may have the right to use a portion of your property for upkeep of utility lines, and may have a say in how tall you let your trees grow.” They also explain that “knowing the exact location of underground utilities is critical before any excavation or construction begins.”

How do I read a property survey document?

At first glance, a property survey appears to be a complex and complicated document only decodable by professional land surveyors. However, there are a few simple ways to understand the document and, more importantly, to understand the significant features of your property. The first step is to understand the symbols inside the legend. According to Professional Land Systems Land Surveyors, “The best symbols resemble their real-world counterparts,” so fear not! As confusing as property surveys may seem, these symbols serve as helpful ways for property owners to identify and locate property features such as nearby fire hydrants, wells, property corners, and easements. Next, find the document’s compass to orient yourself with the layout of your property and proceed to locate important boundary lines illuminated by your surveyor. These lines are often marked in feet. To locate the important features of your property, consult the written report that accompanies your drawn survey and match the descriptions with the symbols in the legend. Marked property features may include bodies of water, water pipes, telephone lines, or physical boundaries.

What do I do with the information from the property survey?

Once you’ve decoded your property survey, you can proceed to make adjustments to your home: knowing where your property begins and ends will allow you to know exactly where a new fence can go; knowing where underground utility lines lie will help you to determine where to plant a garden or where to break ground for construction. Further, understanding your property survey, and keeping it on hand, will help you legally—if a neighbor unlawfully encroaches on your land, whether that be by erecting a fence beyond their boundary lines or extending their home onto your property, you have the evidence to prove it.

For more information on property surveys and the importance of land surveyors, visit http://www.nysapls.org/?page=1.